Third Place Winner

Abstract

This study reports the case of a young woman (MC) who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury in 2004. After this event, her driving license was revoked. Despite recovering normal neuropsychological functions in the following years, MC was unable to renew her license, failing three on-road evaluations assessing her capacity to drive. In order to renew her license, MC went through an in-simulator training program in the laboratory in 2009. The training program aimed at improving features of MC’s driving behaviour that were identified as being problematic in prior on-road evaluations. To do so, proper driving behaviour was reinforced via drivings pecific feedback provided during the training sessions. After 25 sessions in the simulator, MC significantly improved various components of her driving identified as problematic during her three previous attempts to renew her license. After this in-simulator training, an on-road assessment was scheduled after five periods of practice within an instrumented car (cameras and GPS) that allowed the instructor to provide driving specific feedback on the on-road performance. Finally, her driving performance was assessed by an occupational therapist in the instrumented vehicle. After this in-simulator program and the on-road assessment, MC was able to renew her driving license. A simulator training program like this one represents a promising avenue for driving rehabilitation.